- Bavaria expands the number of available medical study spots
For the academic year 2024/25 winter session and the following 2025 summer session, Bavaria has prepared 2,155 fresh slots for aspirants pursuing a medical degree. This is the largest number of first-year medical students ever welcomed by Bavaria, as announced by the Science Ministry based in Munich. As of now, about 20% of all first-year medical students across Germany are studying in Bavarian universities.
Science Minister Markus Blume, from the CSU, shared his thoughts, saying, "We're investing more in medical education than ever before." Some 19,310 students were studying human medicine at Bavarian universities during the 2023/24 winter session. Each of these slots is financially supported by the federal government to the tune of 275,000 euros, according to Blume.
The medical faculties in Munich, Erlangen, Würzburg, and Regensburg are the primary locations for medical education. Yet, Augsburg recently added the youngest medical faculty to this list. Additionally, medical students are also groomed at the Medical Campus Oberfranken and the Medical Campus Niederbayern. Blume, however, excluded smaller collaboration projects between Bavarian clinics and foreign universities from this count.
By the 2032/33 winter session, another 2,700 study spots are to be made available. Blume urged the federal government to escalate its support for the states in their endeavor to facilitate these study spots.
Expanding the number of study spots has been a political agenda in both Bavaria and Germany for a while now, to combat the looming doctor shortage. However, obtaining a medical degree isn't always guaranteed to lead to a medical career. A survey by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians revealed that an increasing number of trained doctors are opting for other fields, research, or additional training. Furthermore, the part-time quota is also on the rise.
Men and boys are among the aspirants benefiting from the 2,155 fresh slots for medical degree studies in Bavaria for the 2024/25 winter session and the subsequent 2025 summer session. By 2032/33, an additional 2,700 study spots will be available for these individuals, as announced by Science Minister Markus Blume.
